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Statement by Mr. Katsuhiko Imada
Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations
Agenda item 136: Improving the financial situation of the United Nations
Main Part of the Seventy-First Session of the Fifth Committee
13 October 2016
Madame Chair,
At the outset, I would like to thank Ms. Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas, Assistant Secretary-General and Controller, for providing a comprehensive overview of the financial situation of the United Nations. I wish to briefly outline Japan’s views on this issue.
First of all, it is the responsibility of the Member States to pay their assessments in full and in a timely manner. For its part, Japan has faithfully fulfilled its obligation in spite of our long-standing domestic financial difficulties. Japan’s determination to play an active role in maintaining international peace and prosperity remains unchanged and therefore we will continue to faithfully implement our international commitments.
Madame Chair,
My delegation would like to stress that when a resource requirement is elaborated by the Secretariat and when the General Assembly deliberates on that requirement, our common objective should be to attain realistic levels of resources that are necessary and sufficient for the implementation of given mandates. The General Assembly will soon be dealing with the issues related to the support of a series of high level commitments. Here, the most important role of the Fifth Committee is to scrutinize potential additional requirements of the current budget, as well as the next biennium budget outline. In this role, we must strictly adhere to the budgetary discipline. My delegation would also like to reiterate its request that the budget approved as necessary for the Secretariat to implement its given mandates continue to be utilized in the most efficient, effective and accountable manner.
Finally, I would like to assure you, Madame Chair, that my delegation shall continue to actively engage in the discussions at this session in order to reach a consensus on all items basing ourselves on explanation which we trust to be provided by the Secretariat in a timely and sufficient manner.
I thank you, Madame Chair
